Intake & Client Communication · Review
Initial take, not yet hands-on testedSmith.ai
Our verdict
Smith.ai is the most flexible answering option on our list: AI, human, or hybrid, billed per call rather than per minute, with add-ons that matter to defense lawyers, like accepting collect calls. Watch the add-ons, because they're priced per call and they add up.
Best for: Solos who miss calls while in court, including criminal defense intake.
Watch out for: Script intake carefully so agents never give legal advice.
24/7 AI receptionists and live human agents for call answering, intake, and scheduling.
Direct link to the vendor’s website. We don’t earn a commission from this link.
Pros & cons
Pros
- AI Receptionist has a free tier (25 calls/month) and Pro from $150/month
- Human receptionist plans from $300/month for 30 calls
- Per-call billing; the vendor says it doesn't charge for spam on human plans
- Collect-call acceptance ($0.50/call) and conflict checks ($0.50/call) on human plans
- Native Clio integration listed
- Says its receptionists never give legal advice
Cons
- Many features are per-call add-ons (booking, Spanish line, payments)
- Human plans get expensive at volume ($2,100/month for 300 calls)
- On AI plans, every answered call counts toward the quota by default (with a 10% spam allowance)
- Not yet hands-on tested by us
Who it’s for
- Best for
- Solos who miss calls while in court, including criminal defense intake.
- Solos and small firms who miss calls while in court
- Criminal defense practices that get after-hours and jail calls
- Firms that want to start with a free AI tier and add humans later
- Probably not for
- Firms that want one flat price with no per-call add-ons
- Firms that want an answering service that only serves law firms
Listed under: Intake & Client Communication Criminal Defense Virtual Receptionists & Answering Services
Pricing
AI Receptionist plans published: Free (25 calls/mo, $3/call after), Pro from $150/mo, Enterprise from $500/mo (smith.ai/pricing, 2026-10-14). Human virtual receptionist pricing listed separately.
As listed on 2026-10-14. Pricing changes; confirm with the vendor.
Alternatives: other Intake & Client Communication tools
Other tools listed in the same use case, in directory order. Not a ranking.
Drafting & Documents
Gavel
AI contract review (Gavel Exec) and document automation (Gavel Workflows); acquired by Relativity in June 2026.
Best forFirms automating repeatable documents from intake questionnaires.
Billing & Practice Management
Clio
Legal practice management, billing, and client intake software, with AI features.
Best forSolo and small firms wanting a widely used all-in-one platform.
Intake & Client Communication
Lawmatics
Legal software for client intake, CRM, and marketing automation for law firms.
Best forFirms that want to automate intake follow-up and marketing.
Sources
Vendor pages we checked, accessed 2026-10-14.
FAQ
Who is Smith.ai best for?
In our verdict: Solos who miss calls while in court, including criminal defense intake.
What should I watch out for with Smith.ai?
In our verdict: Script intake carefully so agents never give legal advice.
How much does Smith.ai cost?
AI Receptionist plans published: Free (25 calls/mo, $3/call after), Pro from $150/mo, Enterprise from $500/mo (smith.ai/pricing, 2026-10-14). Human virtual receptionist pricing listed separately.